1 Samuel 23

Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors."So David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the Lord said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah."But David’s men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?"Then David inquired of the Lord once more. And the Lord answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand."So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.

Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars."So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."Then David said, "O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account.Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the Lord said, "He will come down."Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will surrender you."Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit.David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.Thus he said to him, "Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also."So the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

Then Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to do so; and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand."Saul said, "May you be blessed of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me.Go now, make more sure, and investigate and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning.So look, and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah."

Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them.But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land."So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.

1 Samuel 24

Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi."Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.The men of David said to him, "Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’" Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly.It came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe.So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of the Lord that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed."David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.

Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’?Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it.May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you.After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea?The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand."

When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept.He said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you.You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the Lord delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me.For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day.Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.So now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household."David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

1 Chronicles 6

The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari.The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, and Phinehas became the father of Abishua,and Abishua became the father of Bukki, and Bukki became the father of Uzzi,and Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah, and Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth,Meraioth became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub,and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz,and Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah, and Azariah became the father of Johanan,and Johanan became the father of Azariah (it was he who served as the priest in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem),and Azariah became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the father of Ahitub,and Ahitub became the father of Zadok, and Zadok became the father of Shallum,and Shallum became the father of Hilkiah, and Hilkiah became the father of Azariah,and Azariah became the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak;and Jehozadak went along when the Lord carried Judah and Jerusalem away into exile by Nebuchadnezzar.

The sons of Levi were Gershom, Kohath and Merari.These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son.The sons of Kohath were Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son and Assir his son,Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son and Shaul his son.The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth.As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah were Zophai his son and Nahath his son,Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.The sons of Samuel were Joel the firstborn, and Abijah the second.The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.

Now these are those whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after the ark rested there.They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order.These are those who served with their sons: From the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.Heman’s brother Asaph stood at his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea,the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.On the left hand were their kinsmen the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer,the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.Their kinsmen the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

Now these are their settlements according to their camps within their borders. To the sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot),to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its pasture lands around it;but the fields of the city and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.To the sons of Aaron they gave the following cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah also with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands,Ashan with its pasture lands and Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands;and from the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.

Then to the rest of the sons of Kohath were given by lot, from the family of the tribe, from the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities.To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, were given from the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali, and the tribe of Manasseh, thirteen cities in Bashan.To the sons of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.So the sons of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their pasture lands.They gave by lot from the tribe of the sons of Judah, the tribe of the sons of Simeon and the tribe of the sons of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name.

Now some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory from the tribe of Ephraim.They gave to them the following cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its pasture lands, Gezer also with its pasture lands,Jokmeam with its pasture lands, Beth-horon with its pasture lands,Aijalon with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands;and from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasture lands and Bileam with its pasture lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.

To the sons of Gershom were given, from the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands;and from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture landsand Ramoth with its pasture lands, Anem with its pasture lands;and from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands,Hukok with its pasture lands and Rehob with its pasture lands;and from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.

To the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, from the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasture lands, Tabor with its pasture lands;and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands,Kedemoth with its pasture lands and Mephaath with its pasture lands;and from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands,Heshbon with its pasture lands and Jazer with its pasture lands.

Psalm 54

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "Is not David hiding himself among us?"

Save me, O God, by Your name,And vindicate me by Your power.Hear my prayer, O God;Give ear to the words of my mouth.For strangers have risen against meAnd violent men have sought my life;They have not set God before them. Selah.

Behold, God is my helper;The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.He will recompense the evil to my foes;Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

Willingly I will sacrifice to You;I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good.For He has delivered me from all trouble,And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

Acts 16

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek,and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium.Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe.So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis;and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days.And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment.

But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities,and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!"And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.

Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men."And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace."But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out."The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city.They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.